Penholder and other finger-held tool.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OAR-L HOLBO RN, OF GGTTINGEN, GERMANY.

PENHOLDER AND OTHER FINGER-HELD TOOL.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed December 15, 1905'. Serial No. 291 890.

To a w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HOLBORN, a subj ect of the German Emperor,residin at Gottingen, in the Empire of Germany, ave invented certain newand useful Improvements in Penholders and other Finger-Held Tools, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to penholders, pencil-holders, artists brushes,engraving-tools, knitting-needles, crochet-hooks, and other finger-heldtools or instruments.

The purpose of the invention is to construct them in a novel manner, soas to provide the operative finger of the user with a support whichinsures steadiness and accuracy in working and which is adapted toprevent the unintentional movements, contractions, and twitchings of thefingers to which nervous people and those sufl'ering from Writers crampor the like are subject when using the tools or instruments in question.

The invention is also useful for instructing children in the manner inwhich penholders should be held durin writing.

The invention is iflustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1represents a penholder, partly in section, constructed with the improvedfinger attachment. Fig. 2 represents the two annular parts forming thefinger attachment.

As shown in the drawings, the penholder or similar instrument is made inse arable parts and comprises the two rings a, orming the fingerattachment. These are of different diameters, corresponding to the shapeof the finger to be inserted thereinto. The said rings can be made ofvulcanite aluminium with india-rubber lining or other suitable materialand are fixable to the penholder in such a manner that when the usersforefinger has been inserted into the said rings the penholder is firmlyconnected with the said finger. There is therefore no necessity for thewriter to exert the tight grip or hold which is usually the cause ofwriters cramp and of bad unsteady handwriting.

For the purpose of fixing the rings to the penholder the said rings areprovided with perforated lugs 0, adapted to be engaged between a centerpiece d, which forms part of the said holder, and the end parts I) ofthe latter screwed to the center piece. The center piece (1 isexchangeable the length thereof, being selected according to the lengthof the users finger. If desired, small perforated disks ordistance-pieces can be added to regulate the distance between the tworings. The arrangement described can be modified by fixing the two ringsin juxtaposition at that end of the center piece (1 which is nearest tothe nib, the said two rings serving for the reception of the forefingerand thumb, respectively. These two rings can be of substantially e ualsize, owing to the similarity between t e thickness of those parts ofthe thumb and forefinger which are inserted into said rings. Thisarrangement allows of holding the pen with great steadiness withoutexerting any pressure whatever.

As has already been indicated, the improved finger attachment describedcan also be used in connection with pencils, brushes, engraving-tools,knitting-needles, crochethooks, and the like and in all cases reduces toa minimum the strain on the muscles of the hand holding the tool orinstrument in question, so that the said tool or instrument can becontrolled with great steadiness and accuracy. The fact that the ringsforming the finger attachment are angularly or rotarily adjustableallows of using a penholder provided with said attachment for variousstyles of handwritingfor instance, for writing with a backward slant orin Gothic characters. For this purpose the rings are so adjusted thatwhen the finger has been inserted thereinto in the normal manner theposition of the penholder is suitable for the style of writing required.It is obvious that rings for the forefinger and thumb can be usedseparately or together, so that the improved finger attachment can, forinstance, be used by persons who have lost or injured either theforefinger or thumb of the hand required for holding the tool.

Annular finger attachments for penholders and pencils are not inthemselves novel. The novelty of the resent invention lies in thearrangement w ch allows of fixing rings of any desired size to apenholder or other tool by means of a detachable center piece whichforms part of the said tool, the rings being engaged between the saidcenter and end pieces in such a manner that they are rotarily adjustableand that the distance between them can be altered by altering the lengthof the center pieces or by using distance-pieces in combination with thelatter.

I claim as my inventionlnzajlholder' lfor finger-operated tools thecombination of a center piece and two 'end In witness whereof I havesigned this speciieces, screws axiallypositioned in said pieces ficationin the presence of two Witnesses. for attachment thereof to one anotherand CARL HOLBORN two rings having eachan eye adapted to en- 5 circlesaid screws and to be clamped thereby Witnesses:

intermediate of said center and end pieces FLORENCE FULLER,substantially as set forth. LOUISE SHRODER.

